Alcohol burner construction

ABSTRACT

The improvement relates to an alcohol burner of the type fabricated from a pharmaceutical bottle with a heat reflector attached to the cap and with a wick projecting through the cap and heat reflector. Specifically, a pair of shields for the bottle is disclosed to prevent glass from flying in the event of a burner explosion. The pair of shields form a stand for the bottle which adds to the stability of the burner. A square reflector is also disclosed. The square shape of the reflector prevents the burner from rolling, if the burner is accidently tipped over. A gasket which seals the edges of the bottle cap is also disclosed. The gasket provides an effective seal which prevents a condition known as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;flaming alcohol burner&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; from occurring.

United States Patent Maddestra et al.

[ 11 3,905,754 [4 1 Sept. 16, 1975 ALCOHOL BURNER CONSTRUCTIONInventors: Robert Maddestra, Canton; David E. Munn, Framingham, both ofMass.

Damon Corporation, Needham Heights, Mass.

Filed: Aug. 14, 1974 App]. No.: 497,205

Assignee:

us. c1. 431/324; 431/310; 431/343; 248/154 1m. c1. F23D 3/18 Field ofSearch 431/146, 310, 320, 324, 431/343; 248/44, 154

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1862 Pinkham 431/324 5/1913Unser 43l/l46 l()/ 1928 Rawley 248/44 Primary Examiner-Carroll B.Dority, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kenway & Jenney 5 7 ABSTRACT Theimprovement relates to an alcohol burner of the type fabricated from apharmaceutical bottle with a heat reflector attached to the cap and witha wick projecting through the cap and heat reflector.

of the reflector prevents the burner from rolling, if the burner isaccidently tipped over.

A gasket which seals the edges of the bottle cap is also disclosed. Thegasket provides an effective seal which prevents a condition known asflaming alcohol burner from occurring.

11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures ALCOHOL BURNER CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION During the mid sixtys, a concerted effort was made in anattempt to develop new and inexpensive laboratory devices which wouldenable a high school science teacher to perform various laboratoryexperiments from his desk for the benefit of hisclass. Factors that wereconsidered when evaluating these new laboratory devices included cost,life expectancy, safety, simplicity and the ability to be usable outsidea conventional laboratory setting.

As a result of the foregoing effort, one type of device which wasdeveloped and which was used by high school science departmentsthroughout the country was a new type of alcohol burner. This burnercould be usedat a teachers desk and enable the teacher to per form otherexperiments which required a flame at his desk without the use of gasconnections or electric outlets.

As is shown in FIG. 1, this prior art burner was con structed from astandard one ounce pharmaceutical bottle 2. A hole was punched into cap3 of the bottle to permit a wick 4 to extend upwardly from the bottle.

The cap was inclusive of an eyelet 5 through which the wick wassupported. The prior art burner also included a round heat reflector 6which was secured to the eyelet 5 by a pair of locknuts 7 and 9. The capincluded a paper cap gasket 11, which is a standard item for caps usedfor pharmaceutical bottles.

Unfortunately, the prior art alcohol burner shown in FIG. 1 had manyshortcomings. For example, although a pharmaceutical bottle isremarkably durable, when heated (as would occur when the burner is inuse) the glass can become stressed and subject to breakage. If a bottlebroke while the burner was lit, an explosion was likely to follow whichcould send pieces of glass flying around the class room.

Another deficiency of the prior art burner shown in FIG. 1 is that theyare physically unstable. That is, they are easily tipped over. Becausethe pharmaceutical bottle is round, when tipped over, it rolls and islikely to fall offa desk or table top. If the foregoing Occurs when theburner is lit, it is obvious that a dangerous situation results.

Another deficiency of the prior art burner is that the paper gasket 11,normally found in caps for pharmaceutical bottles, is not sufficientlyresilient to form a hermetic seal. Thus, alcohol vapors can seep aroundthe sides of the cap as shown by arrow 8. If the alcohol vapors seepingaround the sides of the bottle ignite, a situation results which hasbeen termed a flaming alcohol bottlei In short, the prior art alcoholburner resulted in a number of serious accidents. In fact, accidentsoccurred that were so serious that such burners were outlawed in atleast one school district. However, an alcohol burner constructed inaccordance with the present invention has been considered acceptable inthat school district where the prior art burners were once outlawed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The problem associated with prior art alcoholburners are significantly reduced by the alcohol burner of the presentinvention which includes a pair of side shields to protect the bottle.The side shields are formed of a shatter proof material such as metaland are arranged to allow visibility of the alcohol level within thebottle. The pair of shields are flared at the bottom to form a base orstand which adds to the stability of the burner. Another significantadvantage of the metal shield is that it provides a heat sink for theburner. Another advantage is that the pair of shields enable the bottleto slide up and down within the burner so that the height of the burnercan be adjusted in a simple manner.

The burner of the present invention includes a square heat reflector.The square heat reflector prevents the bottle from rolling if it istipped over. The alcohol burner of the present invention also includes aresilient gasket within the bottle cap. The gasket is resilient enoughso that a fluid tight seal results when the cap is tightened onto thebottle. This gasket prevents alcohol vapors from venting between theside walls of the bottle and the bottle cap and eliminates the conditionknonw as a flaming alcohol burner.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an alcoholburner which is safer than a similar prior art alcohol burner.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a more stablealcohol burner of the type which includes a pharmaceutical bottle tocontain the alcohol. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pair ofshields for a pharmaceutical bottle used in alcohol burners whichcontains the glass should an explosion occur and which also function asa stand which enables the height of the bottle to be adjusted and whichprovides increased stability for the burner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an alcohol burnerwith a resilient gasket in the burner cap for the prevention of thecondition known as flaming alcohol burner. i

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view partiallyin section of a prior art alcohol burner which includes a 1 ounce pharmaceutical bottle as a container for the alcohol.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the alcohol burner in accordance withthe present invention with the bottle positioned about 1/16 of an inchfrom the bottle of the burner stand.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but with the bottlepositioned about mid way in the burner stand.

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the burner in accordance with thepresent invention but with the bottle positioned intermediate betweenthe positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a vertical longitudinal view taken along line S--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an alcohol burner in accordancewith the present invention with the wick cap removed.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of burner components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As is shown in FIGS. 2-8,burner 10 of the present invention includes a pair of shields l2 and 14for bottle 13 which function as protective members to contain glass inthe event of an explosion. Shields 12 and 14 are each flared on thebottom as is shown, for example, in FIG. 4. The flared bottoms of shield12 and 14 form a stand which increases the stability of the burner. Asis shown in several of the figures, the shields are arranged so that thelevel of liquid 15 can be easily ascertained on visual inspection of theburner. Thus, shield 12 and 14 are arranged in conjunction with bottle13 so that there is a vertical space between the two shields.

It has been found advantageous to join shields l2 and 14 with stovebolts 16 and 18. Nuts 16 and 18 are used in conjunction with stove bolts16 and 18. The nuts and stove bolts enable the friction fit between theshields and the bottle to be adjusted so that the bottle is held firmlywithin the stand, yet at the same time being able to slide up and downto various positions as is shown in FIGS. 2-4. Thus, shields 14 and 16provide a convenient and safe means for adjusting the height of thealcohol burner. The shields may be advantageously formed of aluminumtype 5052-1-132 of 0.032 inch thickness with a mill finish. An advantageof utilizing aluminum is that it conducts heat and serves as a heat sinkfor the heat generated when the alcohol burner is in use. This heat sinkprevents the glass forming bottle 13 from becoming stressed duringnormal use of the burner. As is shown in the drawing, the alcohol burneralso includes a wick cap 20 which can be placed over wick 21 when theburner is not in use. The wick cap, however is conventional and forms nopart of the present invention.

The burner of the present invention includes a square heat reflector 22.This reflector is similar to reflector 6 used on the prior art burner;but, its square shape prevents the bottle from rolling if it isaccidently tipped on its side. The heat reflector 22 is maintained onthe burner wby being sandwiched between a pair of push nuts 28 and 30which in turn are secured to eyelet 32.

In accordance with the present invention, cap 24 includes resilient capgasket 26. Cap gasket 26 is formed from a resilient material such asrubber impregnated with asbestos. A material sold by Johns- Mansvilleunder their designation JM60 has been found to be advantageous for thispurpose. Cap gasket formed of this material need only be 1.16 of an inchthick. .IM60 is sufficiently resilient to prevent vapors from passingbetween the sides of the bottle and the bottle cap when the cap istightened on to the bottle. A further advantage of this material is thatit insulates the inside of the bottle from the heat generated by theburner when it is in use.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:

1. An alcohol burner of the type fabricated from a pharmaceutical bottlehaving a cap with a heat reflector attached to the cap and with a wickprojecting through the cap and heat reflector wherein the improvementcomprises:

' a pair of shields encompassing a major portion of the outer surface ofsaid bottle, each shield being flared at the bottom to provide a basefor the burner to increase the stability of the burner, each shieldbeing made of metal to function as a heat sink for heat generated whenthe bottle is in use and to retard flying glass in the event of a burnerexplosion said pair of shields being separated from each other and heldabout said bottle by connecting means to form a stand for the bottle,the separation between said shields enabling the alcohol level to beviewed when the alcohol level in the bottle falls-below the height ofthe shields, said connecting means enables a friction fit between saidshields and the bottle to be maintained, said friction fit holding thebottle firmly in position between said shields while enabling the bottleto be moved up and down in the stand to adjust the height of the burner.

2. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connectingmeans is stove bolts and nuts.

3. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 2 wherein said shields areformed of aluminum.

4. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 3 wherein said heatreflector has a configuration which prevents the bottle from rolling ifaccidentally tipped on its side.

5. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 4 wherein said heatreflector has a square configuration.

6. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 1 including a gasket in thebottle cap to provide a hermetic seal between the cap and the top edgeof the bottle to prevent the condition known as flaming alcohol burnerfrom occurring.

7. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 4 including a gasket in thebottle cap to provide a hermetic seal between the cap and the top edgeof the bottle to prevent the condition known as flaming alcohol burnerfrom occurring.

8. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 5 including a gasket in thebottle cap to provide a hermetic seal between the cap and the top edgeof the bottle to prevent the condition known as flaming alcohol burnerfrom occurring.

9. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 6 wherein said gasket isformed of rubber impregnated with asbestos.

10. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 7 wherein said gasket isformed of rubber impregnated with asbestos.

1 l. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 8 wherein said gasket isformed of rubber impregnated with asbestos.

1. An alcohol burner of the type fabricated from a pharmaceutical bottlehaving a cap with a heat reflector attached to the cap and with a wickprojecting through the cap and heat reflector wherein the improvementcomprises: a pair of shields encompassing a major portion of the outersurface of said bottle, each shield being flared at the bottom toprovide a base for the burner to increase the stability of the burner,each shield being made of metal to function as a heat sink for heatgenerated when the bottle is in use and to retard flying glass in theevent of a burner explosion said pair of shields being separated fromeach other and held about said bottle by connecting means to form astand for the bottle, the separation between said shields enabling thealcohol level to be viewed when the alcohol level in the bottle fallsbelow the height of the shields, said connecting means enables afriction fit between said shields and the bottle to be maintained, saidfriction fit holding the bottle firmly in position between said shieldswhile enabling the bottle to be moved up and down in the stand to adjustthe height of the burner.
 2. The alcohol burner as set forth in claiM 1wherein said connecting means is stove bolts and nuts.
 3. The alcoholburner as set forth in claim 2 wherein said shields are formed ofaluminum.
 4. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 3 wherein saidheat reflector has a configuration which prevents the bottle fromrolling if accidentally tipped on its side.
 5. The alcohol burner as setforth in claim 4 wherein said heat reflector has a square configuration.6. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 1 including a gasket in thebottle cap to provide a hermetic seal between the cap and the top edgeof the bottle to prevent the condition known as flaming alcohol burnerfrom occurring.
 7. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 4 includinga gasket in the bottle cap to provide a hermetic seal between the capand the top edge of the bottle to prevent the condition known as flamingalcohol burner from occurring.
 8. The alcohol burner as set forth inclaim 5 including a gasket in the bottle cap to provide a hermetic sealbetween the cap and the top edge of the bottle to prevent the conditionknown as flaming alcohol burner from occurring.
 9. The alcohol burner asset forth in claim 6 wherein said gasket is formed of rubber impregnatedwith asbestos.
 10. The alcohol burner as set forth in claim 7 whereinsaid gasket is formed of rubber impregnated with asbestos.
 11. Thealcohol burner as set forth in claim 8 wherein said gasket is formed ofrubber impregnated with asbestos.